I’m looking forward to ringing in the New Year.  Besides the excitement and promise the New Year brings, it also brings closure to hectic holiday travel–which means the return of the regular bedtime routine. 

When away from home, the bedtime routine my children have come to know usually goes out the window.  That includes “bedtime” itself.  What typically happens is that I get so wrapped up in family/friend activities and entertainment that I lose track of time.  I also see my children having such a fun time playing with their relatives and friends that I hate to put an end to those evenings of holiday fun.  I confess, it’s also a lot easier to completely let go of bedtime routines while on the road, especially when it means a hiatus from bedtime struggles.  

I admit, though, we all fare much better when we observe regular bedtime routines.  Happier children.  More patient parents.  Fewer temper tantrums.  After a few difficult days (the repercussions of late bedtimes), I’m starting to rethink bedtime on the road. 

I’ve discovered that experts and parents alike often suggest that sticking with regular bedtime routines while travelling can help preserve family harmony on the road, especially when travelling with toddlers.

Here are three additional tips for making bedtime on the road easier:

1.  Travel prepared.  Bring familiar bedtime/naptime comforts, like favorite stuffed animals or security blankets.

2.  Take a bed.  Bring along the travel crib, Snuggle Nest, or child travel bed.  For travel bed ideas, check out Graco’s Travel Bed or the absolutely adorable KidCo PeaPod travel bed.  Comfortable and well-rested kids make happy ones.      

3.  Avoid overstimulation.  Build breaks and downtime into your travel schedule, including naps or quiet time.

 Tell us, do your children keep a regular bedtime routine while on the road?  If so, what advice do you have for other parents looking to do the same?    

Wishing you and yours a happy and safe holiday!  May the joy of this holiday live on through the memories you create with your loved ones. 

Go on, grab the camera and snap away–oh, of course, may you find the camera with a charged battery and a spacious memory card (or film) when you reach for it to capture those important moments!  At least that’s what I’m hoping to find come the time–but with kids, you never know what surprises will come your way, especially when it comes to electronics like cameras!

Happy Holidays!

It wasn’t until sometime after my second child was born that it dawned on me that children love textures, especially rubbing their fingers against soft, silky, or smooth fabrics.  Initially, I thought my kids’ interest in playing with certain fabrics was unique.  But, then I discovered plush toys with attached mini blankets and products similar to “Taggies,” Cuddle Cover Blankets, and HubbaCub Security Blankets on the market.  These products are specifically designed to offer infant and toddler tactile comfort–think cozy and chic security blankets!

Security blankets make great gifts for young children.  Perfect for the baby-to-be, infant, or toddler.  Besides providing companionship and calming fussy children, security blanket products are typically designed to retain “mom’s scent”–giving children added comfort when mom is away.

When I stumble across my kids’ security blankets, I have such beautiful memories of them snuggling with their blankets.  Security blankets are the ultimate keepsakes–the rare treasures that I plan to hold onto forever–at least until my children have children of their own.

Does your child have a security blanket?  If so, do you think it has positively impacted your child’s development?

I confess, I rarely think about the smoke detectors in my home–actually, I probably only think about them when my cooking sets them off!  But two recent events have me thinking about them today:  a friend’s scare with a chimney fire and a visit to the pediatrician, who said that she urges parents to change smoke detector batteries each year on their child’s birthday (a date that is sure to be remembered).

Besides making sure that your household is equipped with functioning smoke detectors (with fresh batteries), the U.S. Fire Administration reminds people (with or without children living in the household) to:

          * Plan escape plans and practice them

          * Teach everyone in your family when and how to call for help (i.e. emergency numbers)

          * Keep a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it

          * Install carbon monoxide detectors (note:  you may be able to buy smoke/carbon monoxide combo units). 

For additional fire safety tips and resources, check out the U.S. Fire Administration’s Web Site. 

For a great selection of child home safety products, including stove guards, stove knob covers, and fireplace guards, pop on over to baby-Wise.com.  When it comes to child safety, peace of mind is priceless.

Peas?  No.  Green beans? No way.  Broccoli?  Definitely not.  Spinach?  You must be kidding!

Does this sound like a familiar theme in your household?  Some experts (including mom experts!) claim that it’s not unusual for young kids to refuse vegetables from time to time (or even for lengthy stages) during early childhood. 

I’m now experiencing veggie refusal with my toddler–who once seemed to love everything from asparagus to zucchini.  A friend recently reported that her six year old ”one day” miraculously emerged from a lengthy stage of picky eating– ”deciding” to eat veggies after years of veggie battles.

One way to help solve picky eating or to stem bouts of veggie refusal is to expose your child to a variety of vegetables (and foods generally, including fruit) early on.  Some parents find a teething feeder is a helpful way to introduce vegetables to young children, especially since they reduce choking risks.

Don’t despair if your child doesn’t take to eating veggies right away.  It may take 10-15 times of exposure before your child comes to like–or even try–what you put before her!

Today while stuck in traffic, I noticed that the vehicle in front of me had a license plate that read “Elf” followed by a number.  I couldn’t help but chuckle.  Could this have been one of Santa’s elves, perhaps running errands on Santa’s behalf? 

I’ve been feeling a little Elf-ish lately, particularly as I put the finishing touches on my gift giving.  I’ve done so much wrapping lately that I just dread the idea of wrapping any more gifts.  At this point, should I have forgotten anyone on my list, e-gift cards are the only gifts I’m willing to give (and, it’s not too late to give them)!  Thankfully, though, my kids are old enough now to help out with gift wrapping–and boy, do they ever to want to help out!  Little fingers are great for holding pre-cut pieces of tape.  They also are great for holding ribbon before the final tie!  When they help me out, I really feel like we’re our own team of elves. Obviously, if I were to wrap gifts alone, I’d be much more efficient, but there’s no substitute for that elf-ish laughter and silliness.

Not all parents enjoy having their little ones around when they wrap gifts.  Do you mind wrapping presents with your little ones?

A few days ago, I posted about single parenting and the holidays.  As a beautiful complement to this topic, it’s definitely worth your time to read A Holiday Wish List for Single Moms, which appears at the Silicon Valley Moms Blog and is a feature link at Parent Hacks.

While I’m not a single mom, I know that children aren’t the only ones with wish lists this time of year–single parents have them, too.  If you have a single parent friend, this might just be the perfect time to let them know you’re thinking about them.  

Merck & Co. announced a recall yesterday of 1.2 million doses of the Hib vaccine.  The vaccine is used to protect against meningitis, pneumonia, and other infections.  This vaccine is routinely administered to children, beginning around two months of age.

For more information about the recall, and to better understand how the recall may affect your child, check out Merck’s recall notice.

Kids in tow, I decided to make a quick stop to pick up a gift card at a local shop for someone on my holiday list. 

Here’s how I envisioned the stop:  unload kids from minivan, zip into the store, ask for gift card, plunk down payment, zip out of store, buckle kids back into their car seats.  Oh, then, the best part:  the sigh of relief!  Shopping completed for another person on my list.

I didn’t plan for one thing.  I didn’t even anticipate it.  Bad customer service.  The clerk seemed completely annoyed that I wanted a gift card.  In fact, he came as close to saying it, without actually saying it.  It’s not like he was busy helping out other customers either.  He was just standing behind the register when I walked into the store.  And, it’s not like gift cards are an unusual request.  In fact, the counter featured a huge display of cards just waiting to be purchased.

Even though I wasn’t in the store for much longer than I had originally so brilliantly planned, I didn’t expect that I would spend much of the afternoon fuming about the experience.  I thought by the time I was back in the minivan the shopping experience would have been completed.

My solution:  I called the store and spoke with the manager.  The manager seemed truly appreciative that I took the time to call about my experience.  He apologized profusely.  He promised to attend to the problem promptly–I took that to mean talking with the employee.  He asked me to see him next time I come into the store.  He thanked me again for taking the time to call, and he thanked me for my patronage.

A happy ending to my shopping experience emerged.  A happier customer.  Shopping experience completed.

Do you have a tale of customer service survival this holiday season?  Do you have a strategy for dealing with poor customer service, especially when your kids are in tow?  If so, leave a comment and tell me all about it. 

It’s easy to forget that finding happiness during the holiday season isn’t equally easy for everyone.  There are lots of people who spend the holidays alone, or feeling lonely.  This includes many single parents–both those spending time with their children and those apart from their children during the holidays.  

If you’re a single parent, consider checking out Jennifer Wolf’s About.com site for Single Parents–of course, after you finish checking out all of the goodies here! 

You’re bound to pick up a few tips on coping with single parent holiday blues.  Here’s a spiced-up rehash of Woolf’s single parent holiday suggestions:

1.  Single parents should acknowledge their feelings of loneliness.  Societal expectations can be tough on single parents, especially when it comes to exhibiting holiday enthusiasm.

2.  Don’t forget about the holiday traditions that are important to you.  Tweak the traditions, if you must, but do what you love this holiday.

3. Be adventurous.  Try something new this holiday as a way of “validating your own identity.”  Hey, this might mean planning special holiday crafts or activities with the kids, like making holiday greeting cards to send to family and friends–all you need is paper and an assortment of art accessories, like markers and crayons (My all-in-one top pick: the Alex Art Studio).

4.  Give to others.  Giving to others, like volunteering during the holidays or donating food or toys to the needy, can help you see beyond your own situation.

5.  Remember you.  This might mean something as simple as getting more sleep during the holidays or coming up with ways to eliminate some of the holiday shopping madness, by completing your shopping online.